Such as . . .

This came across my NYT feed yesterday:

Speaker Paul D. Ryan called Donald J. Trump's comments about a Hispanic-American judge "racist," but said there was more "common ground" with him than with his presidential rival.

And it got me thinking about all the other things they have in common, such as:

Blaming the poor for their plot in life;
Blaming rape victims for getting raped;
Taking a stand against paying living wages;
Taking a stand against providing Americans with affordable health care;
Continuing the fight to ensure forced births;
Granting companies the right to discriminate based on "deeply held religious beliefs";
Taking a stand against any non-Christian group;
Taking a stand against any "incorrect" Christian group;
Seeing predatory lenders as good business models;
Standing up for the rights of oppressed white males;
Viewing women as subordinate;
Viewing non-white people as parasites;
Seeing corporate bailouts as good for business, but social welfare recipients as moochers;
Thinking all Muslims are terrorists;
Wanting a national registry for Muslims so we can keep an eye on them;
Opposing giving the same rights and privileges to non-white males that white-males have;
Making "pro-life" claims while supporting the death penalty and increasing access to weapons;
A "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality;
Banning abortion while not providing support for infant care or low-cost/free daycare;
Refusing to research and implement alternative energy sources;
Ignoring the global warming problem;
Ignoring science in general;
A general belief in urban myths over actual facts.

I'm sure there are more, but it would appear Speaker Ryan was correct:  he does have more common ground with Mr. Trump than that insignificant fact that Trump is a blatant racist.

Oh, goody.

This is a surprise?

This just in from the Capt. Obvious Dept. of the NY Times:

Donald Trump has repeatedly unnerved women in private encounters over 40 years.

I never would've guessed . . .

Things that make you go, "Hmmm"

"I will have a deportation force to kick out people who reside in this country illegally." -- Donald Trump

"When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien.  The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you." -- God

Speaking Truth

My NY Times feed this evening had an article stating Mr. Cruz won the Wisconsin primary.  In that article, the Times said this:

The much-needed victory for Mr. Cruz caps a difficult week for Mr. Trump, whose campaign has been embroiled in controversy over his comments on women and his miscues when discussing abortion.

Let's be clear here . . . the comments by Mr. Trump attributed as "miscues" by the Times are not, in fact, miscues.  They are the truth.  When Mr. Trump declares that women should be punished for having an abortion, that is exactly what the right-wing, Tea Party fundagelical movement is working for -- to not only make abortion illegal, but to punish women for that choice.

Self-fulfilling Prophecy or Threat

On my NY Times feed this afternoon, there appeared this headline:

Donald J. Trump warned of "riots" around the Republican National Convention should he fall slightly short of the 1,237 delegates he needs to clinch the nomination and the party moves to select another candidate.

With all of the hateful rhetoric and actions surrounding the Trump campaign, I began wondering if that warning was a realization by Mr. Trump that if he doesn't secure the necessary delegates all of those hateful, racist, misogynistic, bigots will let their anger boil over into riots.  It could be that he's just naming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

On the other hand, since Mr. Trump is himself a hateful, racist, misogynistic bigot, and has been fairly adept at rallying his troopers to his cause, I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't, in reality, a not-so-veiled threat to hand over the nomination to him.  It would be along the lines of, "You've got a really nice shop here, Mister.  It'd be a shame if anything happened to it . . ."

Self-fulfilling prophecy or threat?  I'm not sure there's a difference.

And I have a feeling that if his supporters began showing up at his rallies in brown shirts the right wing would cheer even more enthusiastically.

I just don't get it

This was the Quote of the Day on my NY Times feed today:

"I hate to say this about the Republican establishment, but their view of civil rights is to tip the black waiter five bucks at the country club."

JEFFREY LORD, a former Reagan staffer and Trump supporter, in a heated debate on CNN.

If that's how he feels about the Republican establishment, and if he really hates to say it, then why on God's green earth is he supporting a racist, xenophobic, misogynist candidate?

Sometimes the mental gymnastics required for people to support any of the current Republicans both hurts my head and makes me want to cry.

Moving Forward

Last month TEC received notice from the Anglican Primates that we were being put in a "time out" for a period of three years as a "consequence" for our modification of our canons to allow for marriage equality in the church.

Some primates saw this as a time out.  Others saw it as consequences.  Others saw it as sanctions or punishment.  And the question still remains as to whether or not it's even legal, since the primates have no official jurisdiction in the Anglican Communion.

There were two interesting stories that just came across the Anglican Communion News Service.

The first was this one from New Zealand in which the Anglican Church in New Zealand is finding a way forward to bless SSM's.

"These liturgies have been designed to allow for the blessing of couples who have been married in a civil ceremony – according either to New Zealand law, or to the law in the Pacific Island nations which form part of this church. These liturgies also create a pathway for the people in such relationships to become ordained."

The second comes from the Anglican Church in South Africa.

"Anglican bishops from across southern Africa have resolved that gay and lesbian partners who enter same-sex civil unions under South African law should be welcomed into congregations as full members of the church."

The ACSA is still divided as to whether or not they will allow marriages to take place in the church, but they are moving forward.

I'm no expert, but I'm thinking this is unwelcome news for the anti-equality group that called for TEC to go into a timeout.

The Pope on The Donald

If you were wondering what other people outside of the U.S. think about candidate Trump, here are some words from Pope Francis as relayed by the NYT:

Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that Donald J. Trump “is not Christian” because of the harshness of his campaign promises to deport more immigrants and force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border.

“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said when a reporter asked him about Mr. Trump on the papal airliner as he returned to Rome after his six-day visit to Mexico.

I'm not sure I can claim Trump isn't Christian, but I will certainly agree that he doesn't espouse anything close to Christian values or ethics.

If you haven't yet, start paying attention.

On a more serious note

Heard the news that the anti-government terrorists in eastern Oregon have been arrested (with, unfortunately, one killed) AND that certain pro-forced birth terrorists have been indicted after covertly videotaping and then doctoring the footage to be used as a "documentary."

The terrorist takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge seems to be coming to an end as several of the terrorists were stopped while traveling to a neighboring community to try and raise support for their efforts.

A small number of the terrorist group is still holed up at the Refuge, one of them stating that the F.B.I. was "hellbent on war," but he hopes for a peaceful resolution.

Let me guess . . . that "peaceful resolution" is defined as "Give me what I want and go away."  As one person said in the NYT comments, "It might be easier to believe they want a peaceful resolution if they weren't armed to the teeth."

And in another form of domestic terrorism, one group using any means necessary to shut down clinics that provide healthcare for (mainly) low-income women have been indicted for using illegal means and fraud.

From the NY Times about the videotaping:

Mr. Daleiden and Sandra S. Merritt, 62, were indicted on felony charges of tampering with a governmental record with the intent to defraud — specifically, falsifying California driver’s licenses to pose as biotechnology representatives and infiltrate Planned Parenthood centers and research conferences. Mr. Daleiden was also charged with a misdemeanor related to trying to buy human organs.

Yet, despite the illegal activities, the blatant lies, and the desire to treat women as property duly controlled by men, the pro-forced birth crowd is beginning to double down on their stance of bearing false witness and comparing Planned Parenthood to the S.S. and Holocaust.

But for now, the terrorists have been dealt a setback.  We'll see how it plays out in the future.

Burning Churches

Four predominantly black churches were burned at the end of June, following the mass execution of nine members of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston.  The Episcopal cathedral in St. Louis has established a fund to help rebuild those churches.  If you would like to donate to this cause, here is the full text of their effort, along with the address of the cathedral:
================================================================

At the end of June, four predominantly black churches were burned down by arsonists in a clear attempt to strike a blow at the heart of the black community. As fellow children of God, we stand with our sisters and brothers to help them rebuild these buildings -- which are not just houses of worship but centers of ministry for their community.

To that end,  the Rebuild the Churches Fund has been established to collect donations from all over the world for the rebuilding of these churches. We have set an initial goal of $25,000. All money received will be divided equally among these congregations:

Glover Grove Baptist Church, Warrenville, SC

College Hill Seventh Day Adventist Church, Knoxville, TN

Briar Creek Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC

God's Power Church of Christ, Macon, GA

If other black churches are burned or previous fires are deemed to be arson, they will be added to the distribution list.

The fund is being managed and funds will be disbursed by Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) in St. Louis. All contributions are tax deductible.

Those wishing to give can also make a check out to Christ Church Cathedral with "Rebuild the Churches Fund" in the memo line and send it to:

Rebuild the Churches
c/o Christ Church Cathedral
1210 Locust Street
St. Louis, MO 63103

Communities of all faiths are invited to hold special offerings as a sign of interfaith solidarity against racism and with our sisters and brothers of faith.
==============================================================

And if you want to see their website, and/or donate electronically, you can do so here.

It's about damn time

I don't know if this will actually happen.  I have my doubts.  And it's too bad that it took the deaths of nine people, but the South Carolina Congress will begin debating on whether or not to take down the Confederate flag.

It's too bad it came to this.  I doubt it will happen any time soon.  But if it does, then those nine will not have died in vain.

On Marriage Equality

So Judge Scalia thinks that if the courts give assent to marriage equality clergy might be forced to officiate at weddings in which they disagree (i.e. a clergy person who is "one man/one woman only" advocate might be forced to officiate at a same sex wedding).

Question for Judge Scalia: What world are you living in?

No RC priest has ever been forced to officiate at a Baptist wedding. No Baptist pastor has ever been forced to officiate at a Jewish wedding. No Jewish rabbi has ever been forced to officiate at a RC wedding. No clergy person of any stripe has ever been forced to officiate at the wedding of two atheists.  And on and on and on.

This hand-wringing over "but clergy might be forced to officiate at gay weddings ... oh no ..." is one thing and one thing only: A bunch of paranoid bullshit by people used to having all the power in an attempt to keep their power out of fear that equality for others means oppression for me.

Equality never has and never will bring the end of the world. But equality will always cause those in power to live in fear simply because equality for all brings about the end of the world as those in power know it.

Ferguson, MO

In the wake of a white cop shooting a black teen, this is their response:



That looks appropriate . . . NOT

What the hell are these people thinking?

Not just any letter

So someone decided that they have had enough of my opinions in the paper and wrote me a personal letter because he just couldn't stand it anymore.  In short, he pretty much condemned me to hell for allowing gays in the church and denying creationism.

All righty then.

I've spent some time thinking about an appropriate response.  Something like, "Dear Mr. D., thank you for your letter.  May God richly bless you in your ministry.  Hugs and kisses, me."

But then I decided I've got more important things to do as I get ready for vacation.

Another Response

As of yet, I haven't seen any responses to my rebuttal of the pro-creationism gentleman in the paper.  But then again, it's still early.  My letter was printed on Thursday, the local paper doesn't run on Sundays or Mondays; so if a response comes, it will come sometime this week most likely.

However, I did have the one verbal response (which I posted about below) at the funeral.  And today I took a call from a lady who wanted to know what time Ash Wednesday services were.  After I told her, she also told me how glad she was to see letters standing up to the "typical JoCo mentality."

That gives me hope.

Maybe . . .

Maybe it's beginning to sink in.

Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself?
Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?

"Oh God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth . . . bring the nations into your fold; pour out your spirit on all flesh . . ."

"Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross thta everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace:  So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love . . ."

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

The Supreme Court today struck down the unconstitutional, prejudicial, segregationist and homophobic Defense of Marriage Act.

All means all.
Equal means equal.

Maybe it's beginning to sink in.

Well what do you know . . .

A bunch of prominent, albeit retired and out of office, Republicans have signed an amicus brief coming out in favor -- yes, IN FAVOR -- of same sex marriage.

NYT article is here.

It looks like the party of the President Who Freed the Slaves is finally starting to come around to understanding that free and equal actual means free and equal.

The Election

So all of the Romney/Ryan supporters are in fits over the election loss.  Well . . . maybe "fits" isn't the right term . . . from what I've seen and heard, "hysterics" might be a better choice. 

"Don't you feel sad for them, even just a little bit, simply from understanding that all their effort, time and energy went into a campaign that ultimately lost?"

On the one hand, yes, I feel some sadness there because I know how I'd feel if my candidate lost.

But then you see the images of the American flag flying upside down, business closed due to the "failure of America," and other end-of-the world scenarios playing out by members of the far right.

On another blog I follow, Slacktivist by name, commenter JessicaR posted this:

Yeah, I feel bad, but then I remember they're crying over gay people being able to get married, women not having to pay more for birth control, women being allowed to have birth control at all, undocumented kids paying in state tuition fees, openly gay people being elected to office, etc. etc. and then I don't feel so bad anymore.

Yep -- that about sums it up.

It had to happen eventually

Just north of where I live is a Planned Parenthood center.  Several months ago a single protester showed up on the sidewalk and he would hold out anti-abortion signs as cars passed by.

I originally thought he was a respectful protester, speaking his mind in a civil manner.

That is, until I walked past him one day when he screamed at me, "A vote for Obama is a vote for Satan!"  And one other time when I walked by and he loudly informed me that, "All Democrats are scum!"

Coming into work this morning, I heard this report on the local news:

Officers arriving on the scene found Mr. C and Mr. T actively engaged, T pinned to the ground in possession of a knife. Investigators determined Mr. C pushed Mr. T to the ground and punched him several times in the face. T responded by stabbing Mr. Clair multiple times in the abdomen and neck.

So much for a peaceful, civil protest.

**I should probably point out that Mr. C was the father of a woman visiting the clinic (he would be the puncher) and Mr. T was the anti-abortion protester (he would be the stabber).

Letter to the Editor

The area I now serve has a bevy of conservative churches.  They've put together an ecumenical group to bring the pastors closer together.  A few weeks ago, the group started pushing iPledge Sunday, a simulcast "town hall" type of event sponsored by the Family Research Council and the American Family Association.  This event is supposed to be addressing issues of faith, family and freedom during this most important election year this country has ever seen.  I'm neither impressed nor swayed by their arguments, and I'm even less impressed with the behavior of the FRC and AFA.

So I wrote a letter to the editor:
=====================================

To the Editor:

On September 9, several local congregations are participating in iPledge Sunday, an event sponsored by the American Family Association and the Tony Perkins-led Family Research Council.  Unfortunately, these groups are more interested in the regulations of religious purity that they have developed instead of the moral and ethical concerns of God.

The FRC has been defined as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center for their long history of false and demonizing anti-gay propaganda.  They lobbied against an anti-bullying law on religious grounds, saying that bullying is okay if it’s based in deeply held religious beliefs.  They have falsified studies to satisfy their own agenda.  And Mr. Perkins has also supported white supremacists.

The AFA and their spokesman, Bryan Fischer, also put forth their own line of misinformation and hateful lies.  Mr. Fischer has claimed:  AIDS results from excessive inhalant drug use, not from HIV; the Democratic National Convention will be a “three day Auschwitz” because of pro-choice speakers; women can’t get pregnant from rape; and he has defended Rep. Todd Akin’s position of “legitimate rape.”

Caring for widows, orphans, aliens, the underprivileged and the Other is what concerns God, not religious purity; something these groups fail to understand.

Christian living is more than participating in culture wars against things and people you dislike.  Christian living recognizes power comes through Jesus’ death and resurrection, not through political parties.  And Christian living reminds us that God’s love and salvation are offered to all – not just the religiously pure.

As Christians we need to ask ourselves:  Am I more interested in following man made regulations of religious purity; or will I love my neighbor as myself, respecting the dignity of every human being?

Rev. Ref, Rector

The Episcopal Church